Item Response Theory, though it has become a widely recognized tool in language testing research, is still not used frequently in practical language assessment projects. This book intends to provide a theoretical overview as well as to give practical guidance concerning the application of IRT in item bank building in a language testing context by presenting a particular project in a higher education setting.

Teaching Culture in Introductory Foreign Language Textbooks

This book demonstrates how foreign language textbook analysis can inform future materials development to improve foreign language teaching. Through chronological analysis of French textbooks in the United States, this book explores the representations of Canada and Quebec in French beginner textbooks produced from 1960 to 2010. Chapelle couples a large collection of 65 textbooks with a social-semiotic qualitative analysis of the genres, language and images that communicate Quebec's cultural narrative to learners.

Body language is a vital part of everyday communication, but more often than not, we are unaware of the messages our bodies are sending to others. Body Language will teach you to become more aware of these issues. In seven lessons, you will not only learn to read others, but also learn to control your own posture to send the correct message to those around you. This guide will help you: • Make a good first impression • Match your words to your body posture • Read facial expressions, and decipher meaning from the eyes and tone of voice • Understand what certain postures, such as folded arms and crossed legs, mean • Quickly discern if someone is lying

edX - TOEFL Test Preparation: The Insider’s Guide - Writing and Test Taking

Prepare for the TOEFL test and learn how to improve your score and English language skills from the experts who create the exam. What you'll learn How to improve your English language skills A broad understanding of the four sections of the TOEFL® test: Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing Helpful tips to prepare you for the TOEFL® Test How the TOEFL® Test is scored How to use your TOEFL® Test scores for employment, school, visas, scholarships Where to find additional resources that are available for the TOEFL® Test

Translation is a textual and discursive practice embedded in competing cultural identities and language ideologies; it is a site through which we can observe the operations and implications of language power. In this regard, multilingual societies provide fertile ground for the exploration of translation practice from the perspective of sociolinguistic tension. This book examines the relationship between translation-mediated multi-literate practice and language ideology in multilingual Singapore. It problematises literary translation in light of the power relation between the official languages in the city-state, with special emphasis on English and Chinese.